Continuing with the cultural theme today I shall be mainly visiting the National Gallery. We saw some great sights, the fluidity of movement, the garish colours of garments, the drama and excitement of the action and we also saw some paintings.
A great collection and a wonderful way to spend a few hours. Afterwards we decided to do something new and exciting, we went shopping.
Before this though we tried a new lunch place called "Wahaca" the correct spelling of the area in Mexico is "Oaxacha". We tried a few dishes and they were all good, I would recommend this to anyone passing. It is in Curson St. between the National Gallery and Covent Garden.
We wandered around Covent Garden after lunch. Then we moved on to Piccadilly Circus, then a walk down Regent Street to Oxford Street stopping in at the odd shop or 2 or 10.
It was a great day, spent in good company.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Shopping again
After a light breakfast we again headed into the city, this time to Harrods and Harvey Nichs.
After fighting the foreigners, bloody tourists, we managed to squeeze past the Gucci and LV bags into the shop. We had a look at the products that the rich people buy. We then headed into the food hall and found something to eat.
After that we went through the jewellery halls and just watched people buy things. After the settling of the fact that I was not going to buy her anything we headed for Harvey Nichols. Via a few other shops of course.
We ended up on the 5th floor food section. We had a coffee and watched the rest of the people in the area. We descended back into the real rain infested world of the streets. A walk along Sloane St to look at the Mercs and Audis and all the designer shops then back to the tube for the trip home.
Nice meal was enjoyed by 9 of us, most of the produce being purchased the previous day at Borough Market.
After fighting the foreigners, bloody tourists, we managed to squeeze past the Gucci and LV bags into the shop. We had a look at the products that the rich people buy. We then headed into the food hall and found something to eat.
After that we went through the jewellery halls and just watched people buy things. After the settling of the fact that I was not going to buy her anything we headed for Harvey Nichols. Via a few other shops of course.
We ended up on the 5th floor food section. We had a coffee and watched the rest of the people in the area. We descended back into the real rain infested world of the streets. A walk along Sloane St to look at the Mercs and Audis and all the designer shops then back to the tube for the trip home.
Nice meal was enjoyed by 9 of us, most of the produce being purchased the previous day at Borough Market.
Tate Modern
After a couple of hours on the train into the city, then another couple of hours wandering around the Borough Market, where we had a great lunch and sampled some very good food from not only the UK but France and Italy also, we headed to the Tate.
I must say I was a little disappointed. I was expecting a few controversial displays. The artwork was quiet traditional, some display pieces were good although, I can understand some people saying that it was not art.
The video performance pieces were a bit predictable and were probably only devised to shock rather than be a true experience of the artist. Wehad to stand on the tube all the way home and were relieved to be asked to some friends were we decided just to drink instead of eat.
I must say I was a little disappointed. I was expecting a few controversial displays. The artwork was quiet traditional, some display pieces were good although, I can understand some people saying that it was not art.
The video performance pieces were a bit predictable and were probably only devised to shock rather than be a true experience of the artist. Wehad to stand on the tube all the way home and were relieved to be asked to some friends were we decided just to drink instead of eat.
Friday, August 8, 2008
Accliamatised
Well it seems as if we never left and spent 3 years in Australia. Sitting around the table with Steve, Alison and Olivia, well Olivia is bigger and talking I suppose. We remember the bus routes, the shops and the other things.
This is where our real holidays will start. To celebrate we need to start enjoying the place. What can we do today? I know "Lets go shopping". Thursday night in Kingston the shops are open late. After the first two trips we know what is out there, Mrs gotg needs some tops and stuff to get through the trip so after lunch it is back to the shopping tour of Europe.
After some serious shopping and a few purchases it is off to find a decent coffee, before resuming the endless task of shopping. Returning home via another friends and a few wines and nibbles round off the day.
Tomorrow is Friday, we are off to the Borough Markets, where the TV show Market Kitchen is made. (For UK Food and Foxtel subscribers)
This is where our real holidays will start. To celebrate we need to start enjoying the place. What can we do today? I know "Lets go shopping". Thursday night in Kingston the shops are open late. After the first two trips we know what is out there, Mrs gotg needs some tops and stuff to get through the trip so after lunch it is back to the shopping tour of Europe.
After some serious shopping and a few purchases it is off to find a decent coffee, before resuming the endless task of shopping. Returning home via another friends and a few wines and nibbles round off the day.
Tomorrow is Friday, we are off to the Borough Markets, where the TV show Market Kitchen is made. (For UK Food and Foxtel subscribers)
First few days.
Well as is the tradition when one returns to a familiar place, the first thing to be done is to re familiarise oneself.
As we arrived first thing in the morning, to avoid a week of jetlag related problems, we decided to try to stay up until early evening then have an early night.
So off we went shopping. Richmond here we come. We were deposited in the middle of the shopping area and made our own way around the shops. Some of the smaller ones had changed, but the larger shops and the usual High Street shops were all still in the same place.
After a couple of hours of shopping and wandering around we hopped on the bus for home, in Ealing. A light evening meal and then off to bed.
Wednesday arrives and still finding our feet, it is back in the car and off to Kingston to do more shopping. Alison and Olivia head home and we do the rounds of the shops, find somewhere for lunch, we choose Carluccios, it is a franchise operation formed by famed London restauranter Antonio Carluccio. We had a reasonable anti pasta plate and a sudw of green beans.
Fortified, it is back into the shopping fray we go for another 3 hours before finding the bus stop for the ride home. This time we get to see other familiar landmarks along the Thames through Kingston to Richmond via familiar roads (A307) past the entrance to Ham House, then via the Dysart Pub til we hit the river again for the last bit into Richmond. Out the other side and alongside Kew Gardens, over Kew Bridge turn left and drive past Eel Pie Island before we turn onto Ealing Road and up past Brentford Football Ground (Griffin Park).
Then home for dinner and a reasonably early night.
As we arrived first thing in the morning, to avoid a week of jetlag related problems, we decided to try to stay up until early evening then have an early night.
So off we went shopping. Richmond here we come. We were deposited in the middle of the shopping area and made our own way around the shops. Some of the smaller ones had changed, but the larger shops and the usual High Street shops were all still in the same place.
After a couple of hours of shopping and wandering around we hopped on the bus for home, in Ealing. A light evening meal and then off to bed.
Wednesday arrives and still finding our feet, it is back in the car and off to Kingston to do more shopping. Alison and Olivia head home and we do the rounds of the shops, find somewhere for lunch, we choose Carluccios, it is a franchise operation formed by famed London restauranter Antonio Carluccio. We had a reasonable anti pasta plate and a sudw of green beans.
Fortified, it is back into the shopping fray we go for another 3 hours before finding the bus stop for the ride home. This time we get to see other familiar landmarks along the Thames through Kingston to Richmond via familiar roads (A307) past the entrance to Ham House, then via the Dysart Pub til we hit the river again for the last bit into Richmond. Out the other side and alongside Kew Gardens, over Kew Bridge turn left and drive past Eel Pie Island before we turn onto Ealing Road and up past Brentford Football Ground (Griffin Park).
Then home for dinner and a reasonably early night.
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Stage one complete.
Well after getting to Perth Airport, the first glitch became evident. Although we were travelling "Exploding Airways" or QANTAS as some others know them, our flight out of Singapore was on a codeshare with British Airways.
As luck has it I am a QANTAS Club member and have a perk of being allowed slightly more baggage than the non member. (In this case it means Mrs gusonthego can carry those extra 25 pairs of shoes she may need to use, just the once, in case we do go somewhere unscheduled, and that third bottle of moisturiser, just in case). Anyway, I digress. BA have a strict 20kg per person allowance and the check in girl is unsure of whether she should charge us the extra amount an refers to a supervisor. Luckily the supervisor points out that we had actually booked all the way on QANTAS and they will have to argue the point with BA, not me. This was a bonus, because for the first time in years I was not ready for a fight with a "Jobsworth" although, I am sure that would have changed if I was told the amount!
The flight to Singapore was uneventful, when we got there however, we were told that we were sitting in the very rear of the aircraft, last 2 seats. I was well and truly unimpressed. Although there were only 2 seats, there was a restricted movement in the seats. When we got on the plane at sat down the temperature was unbearable, I nearly passed out. After spending 3 months in the Solomons with 34 degrees and 85+% humidity I thought I was acclimatised. Wrong as a wrong thing can be!
When we finally took off and were about to settle down for the night other passengers decided to use the toilets, now this I understand, accept and it was not a bother. The thing was though, that several other passengers decided that standing behind our seats and screaming their life story to a person they had only just met was unbearable, even listening to a movie/tv show or music could not drown out these people.
Finally after 21 hours we landed in London.
As luck has it I am a QANTAS Club member and have a perk of being allowed slightly more baggage than the non member. (In this case it means Mrs gusonthego can carry those extra 25 pairs of shoes she may need to use, just the once, in case we do go somewhere unscheduled, and that third bottle of moisturiser, just in case). Anyway, I digress. BA have a strict 20kg per person allowance and the check in girl is unsure of whether she should charge us the extra amount an refers to a supervisor. Luckily the supervisor points out that we had actually booked all the way on QANTAS and they will have to argue the point with BA, not me. This was a bonus, because for the first time in years I was not ready for a fight with a "Jobsworth" although, I am sure that would have changed if I was told the amount!
The flight to Singapore was uneventful, when we got there however, we were told that we were sitting in the very rear of the aircraft, last 2 seats. I was well and truly unimpressed. Although there were only 2 seats, there was a restricted movement in the seats. When we got on the plane at sat down the temperature was unbearable, I nearly passed out. After spending 3 months in the Solomons with 34 degrees and 85+% humidity I thought I was acclimatised. Wrong as a wrong thing can be!
When we finally took off and were about to settle down for the night other passengers decided to use the toilets, now this I understand, accept and it was not a bother. The thing was though, that several other passengers decided that standing behind our seats and screaming their life story to a person they had only just met was unbearable, even listening to a movie/tv show or music could not drown out these people.
Finally after 21 hours we landed in London.
Sunday, August 3, 2008
Progression on and on
Well everything is set.
Lift off is 1530 from Perth Airport, 5 1/2 hours later a 2 hour stop over in Singapore and then onwards to London. We arrive at about 0600.
So factoring in time zones etc 22 hours of travel, at 1300 Perth time or 15oo on the Eastern seaboard and we shall have landed.
All the booking have been arranged, if not made. We have some friends looking after bookings in some parts of Europe.
I will update as and when I can and this time will load pictures as we go. I believe certain parts of Europe actually have broadband interwebby as opposed to the mouse powered one in the Solomon Islands.
Talk to you soon from Europe somewhere.
Lift off is 1530 from Perth Airport, 5 1/2 hours later a 2 hour stop over in Singapore and then onwards to London. We arrive at about 0600.
So factoring in time zones etc 22 hours of travel, at 1300 Perth time or 15oo on the Eastern seaboard and we shall have landed.
All the booking have been arranged, if not made. We have some friends looking after bookings in some parts of Europe.
I will update as and when I can and this time will load pictures as we go. I believe certain parts of Europe actually have broadband interwebby as opposed to the mouse powered one in the Solomon Islands.
Talk to you soon from Europe somewhere.
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Progression.
Well we have booked everything we need to book. Flights to Europe, flights within Europe, trains in Europe and automobile in you guessed it, Europe. Accomodation in Calais when we first arrive in France, an apartment in Paris on the Ile ST Louis an island next to the Ile de la Cite (The island Notre Dame is on) and a hotel in Budapest.
We are going to "wing it" with accomodation around England, staying with friends and relatives for most of it and finding something else when not.
We will do the same throughout France and part of Spain and will depend upon swift to find us something in Barcelona. Kiwi Toon has done the same in Troyes, we just need to phone him and let him know the dates.
We fly out in 4 days, Monday 4th August. The gusette came over tonight and got a run down of her duties in looking after the house.
Thinking about what to pack now, my denim shorts over my mankini should do for the days and crocs on my feet. As for more formal wear I shall have to consult Mrs gus.
We are going to "wing it" with accomodation around England, staying with friends and relatives for most of it and finding something else when not.
We will do the same throughout France and part of Spain and will depend upon swift to find us something in Barcelona. Kiwi Toon has done the same in Troyes, we just need to phone him and let him know the dates.
We fly out in 4 days, Monday 4th August. The gusette came over tonight and got a run down of her duties in looking after the house.
Thinking about what to pack now, my denim shorts over my mankini should do for the days and crocs on my feet. As for more formal wear I shall have to consult Mrs gus.
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Wednesday 9th July 2008.
gusonthego is back on the go!!
Starting on August 4th the gus' are off to Europe.
Seats on planes have been booked, seats on trains have been booked and so has an automobile!
I am in the middle of booking accommodation where it is necessary. I will publish an itinerary as soon as it is "firm"
The adventure begins again. Will I discover a new Tweety?, Nemo, Baby Nemo, Stats, Gimp, Mrs Brady, Duke, Guru, New Guy, Spud Cod, Squeaky, Plunger, Anna or Austin?
Starting on August 4th the gus' are off to Europe.
Seats on planes have been booked, seats on trains have been booked and so has an automobile!
I am in the middle of booking accommodation where it is necessary. I will publish an itinerary as soon as it is "firm"
The adventure begins again. Will I discover a new Tweety?, Nemo, Baby Nemo, Stats, Gimp, Mrs Brady, Duke, Guru, New Guy, Spud Cod, Squeaky, Plunger, Anna or Austin?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)